Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-11-25
A Wonderful Boy Preacher.
PASCAL PORTER, OF INDIANA, Is
THE MARVEL oP ALL WHO
HEAR HIN.

lllL MAR v III VT hht "
HEAR HIN.
Is it simply a wonderful feat OF
memorlzing, or Is 1t inspiration is
the question every one who has
heard Pascal Porter, the boy
preacher, is asking. This prodigy
is a product of Jefferson county,
and is not eleven years old. When
not in the pulpit he is the most
ordinary of ordinary boys, possess
ing nothing that would distinguish
hlm from hundreds of other boys
seen throughout tho country. In
fact, the cursory observer would
place HIM below the average OF
Indiana boys. While in a state OF
repose he is listless, with dull-look-
ing eyes and expressionless counte-
nance. lie walks with an awkward,
shambling gait, not appearing to
notice those things which generally
attract the attention of boys of his
age. Placed with any dozen boys
of his neighborhoOd he wOuld be
chosen out as the stupid one of the
lot. Yet this awkward country
boy, with his shambling gait, list
less air, and dull look, is one OF the
wonders OF this country. He is a
preacher, and the leading preacher
of his peculiar sect, and if his ser
mons are his own production he is
the leading preacher in Indiana OF
any denomination. He is a lectur-
er, and if his lectures arc original,
he is far ahead of any man who ls
now on the platform in this country.
This may sound like rhapsody, but
it is the verdict of every one who
h.s heard him. He is a plain
country boy, with little or no edu-
cation, and yet in his sermons and
lectures he uses language equal to
the most polished and cultured OF
the present day. His thoughts are
those of a strong and original think
er, and his words are we'll chosen
and those of all Others that ought
to have been used, expressing his
thoughts clearly and strongly.
His sermons are logical in their
arrangement and show a wonderful
and most intimate acquaintance
with the holy Scriptures.
Not only do his sermons display
an intimate acquaintance with the
Bible, but with current history,
and he takes up and applies current
events to elucldate and make plain
his topic and enforce his teachings.
Nor is this all. They display n
most remarkable comprehension of
the Scriptures. When he states a
proposition he backs it up and en-
forces 1t with quotations from the
Bible that are exceedingly we'll
chosen for the purpose.
AS | said, out of the pulpit he Is
the most ordinary of boys; but
when he enters the sacred desk
transformation takes place. His
face lights up and fairly glOws.
His dull eyes sparkle with enthusl-
asm and intelligence. His awk-
ward and shuflling manner leaves
him, and he is new creature.
When he prays 1t is with a simple,
childlike earnestness and deep
pathOs, that melts all hearts. He
prays as if he were asking favOrs
from one with whom he was on
terms OF familiar and loving inter
course. His God is one who is not
afar off, bat who is very near, and
i'm whose love he has the suprem-
est confidence. Hence he prays to
Him as such. His pray ers, if ut
tered in one of oar city pulpits,
would give the hearers new ideas
of what the Savior meant when he
spoke OF those who sAOuld worship
him in the spirit. He announces
his text in the same earnest man.
ner, and without any apologies or
attempts to show of proceeds at
once to elucldate his text. He
breaches from his text, and in this
differs from most Of the preachers
'f the present day, for their texts
ae never heard of after the reading
Of'hem. In many cases any verse
in he Bible would have suited
theilsermon, as we'll as the text
they announced, but it is not so
with tbs boy preacher. His text
furnishe the ground work and
foundatih of his disoourses.
lie belogs to that peculiar sect
known as go al Sleepers." The doc
trine that at'the death OF the body
the soul wentinto sleep and remain
ed in that condition until the final
resurrection, Wien it would be unit
ed with the body obtained an early
foOthOld among the followers Of
Christ, and numbered among them
many earnest advoc,tes. One thing
is certain-there is Lot q preacher
in indianapolis who would not glad.
" farther his sermons.
He has recently defyered two
lectures in Madison before large
and cultivated audIences-one on
temperance and the other on his
tory and character OF the Jewish